Header bracket for ignition cables



March 8,1927. 1,619,991

7 B. M. SMARR HEADER BRACKET FoPl IGNITION CABLES Filed Aug. 15, 1924 Wm M Q Patented Mar. 8, 1927 LIN-ETE- STATES BENJAMIN M. SMARR, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL MOTORSCOR- ZPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPGRATION OF DELAWARE.

HEADER BRACKET Fon IGNITION churns.

Application filed August 15, 1924. Serial no; 732,264.

My invention relates to the wiring system of multiple cylinder internal combustion engines and has for its principal object or end the provision of an improved supporting, housing and protecting device or means for enclosing the high tension cables whereby and through which electricity is supplied to the spark plugs of the engine; and to also, in the more comprehensive form of my invention, support other wires forming a part of the ignition system such, for example, as the wireor wires made use of when the engine is being operated by cur rent derived from a storage or other battery at'startin'g, as distinguished from the usual magneto used to supply current when the engine isin operation.

With the above and other objects of invention in view my invention consists in the improved wire supporting device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, described in the following specification, and particularly claimed at the end thereof; and in such variations and modifications of the construction illustrated and described as come within the scope offthe concluding claims, when interpreted in view of the art relating to such devices.

In the drawing accompanying and torminga part of this specification and wherein the preferred form of my invention is illustrated Figure 1 is a view showing the upper end 01 a multiple cylinder engine block in side elevation and equipped with my invention Figure '2 is a View showing a portion of my invention in side elevation, as in Figure 1, andupon a larger scale than in said figure;

Figure 3 is a corresponding view showing my invention in end elevation;

Figure 4 is a View showing the parts of my invention illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 in plan.

Relerringnow to the drawing, the reference numeral 5 designates conventionally theupper end of aniu'ltip'le cylinder engine block, the engine illustrated being one having sin cylinderseach provided with the usualspark plug 6, and towhi'ch' plugs a cables.

high tension current of electricity is supplied through suitable insulated supply wires in proper sequence by means of .a suitable distributing switch not shown, as itforms no part of? my invention: The six wires or cables designatedby the numerals '7 lead from a corresponding number of commutator segments of the distributing switch, one to each spark plug, and the seventh cable or wire 8 leads from an ignition switch terminal upon the dash or instrument board of a motor driven vvehicle to the rotating central contact arm of the distributor. Other wires 9 lead from the ignition switch to an induction coil and battery so that current derived from a storage or other battery may be used interchangeably with current produced by a suitable magneto by manipulating the ignition switch, all as is usual in lgnition systems for internal combustion engines.

The reference numeral 10 designates a tubular member or housing through and along which portions of the several wires '7, 8 and 9 extend; and whereby said-wires are held close together, the wires having heavy rubber or other material insulating coverings as is usual in high tension supply The severa l wires are shown as all entering the tubular housing through a single opening 11 in the wall thereof, and as leaving said member some through holes 12 in the wall thereof and others through the open ends of said housing;

' One end of said tube 10 is supported by a combined tube supporting member and bracket for holding the cables 7 and 8, and preferably the wires 9 also, said member being fastened to the head of the engine by a cap screw 18 and having an upwardly extending arm 14L curved at its top at 15 to surround said tube, and the free end oi which is fastened by a screw 16 to thereby clamp the tubular member. Another arm 17 of said supporting member extends upward and is inclined away from the arm 14, shown, and is continued at rightangles to the plane of the arms 1% and I? to provide a lower shelf portion 18 which supports the wires 7 8, and is preferably provided with semi-circular recesses as best lie.

shown in Figure 2 within which said wires The wires in question are clamped to the shelf portion 18 by an upper clamping member or bar 19 held to the shelf member by screws 20, 21; to thereby hold the said wires in firm engagement relative to the supporting bracket thus provided for them. This clamping member is also preferably provided with semi-circular recesses registering with the recesses in the shelf, as shown, to thereby more firmly hold the wires in place; and one end of said member is preferably continued and bent to form a loop 22 through which the wires 9 pass, the screw 21 which extends through a hole in the free end of the loop portion of the clamping bar 19 acting in this case both to force the loop into engagement with the wires 9 and the adjacent end of the clamping bar into engagement with the wires 7, 8. The other end of the tubular member 10 is supported by a standard 23 fastened to theengine by a cap screw 24: and which is curved to surround the tubular member in substantially the same manner as the arm 14 and curved portion 15 hereinbefore described.

In view of the premises it will be appreciated that all the wires or cables referred to are gathered together and held compactly by the tubular member along and through which they extend, thus presenting a neater appearance of the wiring system and protectingthe greater part of the several wires from injury; and that the exposed portions of the cables leading to the'plugs leave the protecting tube as near as practicable to the plugs, so that the exposed portions of said wires are comparativelyrshort. Furthermore the portions of the cables which lead from the distributor contacts to the tubular protecting casing are grasped by the bracket portion of my invention, thus keeping said portions bunched and close together throughout and resulting in a more pleasing and orderly appearance of the wiringand at the same time keeping the wires away from the engine block.

Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a wire supporting device for use in ignition systems of internal combustion en gines, a tubular member having openings in its wall for the passage into and out therefrom of wires through which current is supplied to the spark plugs of amultiple cylinder engine; a combined supporting device for said tubular member and bracket for holding a plurality of wires whereby current is supplied to said spark plugs said bracket comprising a lower shelf member for supporting said wires, an upper clamping member for engaging said wires, and means for fastening said clamping member and said shelf together; and means whereby said supporting device may be fastened to a structure adapted to support the same.

2. In a wire supporting device for use in ignition systems of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, a tubular member having a single opening in the wall thereof for the passage of wires through which current is supplied to the spark plugs of the engine into said tubular member, and a plurality of openings separate and independent from the single opening aforesaid and through which said wires may extend out from said tubular member and to the spark plugs of the engine; a combined supporting device for said tubular member and bracket for holding a plurality of wires whereby current is supplied to said spark plugs, and the bracket portion of which device is located adjacent and to one side of said single opening; and means whereby said supporting device may be fastened to a structure adapted to support the same.

3. In a wire supporting device for use in ignition systems of internal combustion engines, a tubular member having openings in its wall for the passage into and out therefrom of wires through which current is supplied to the spark plugs of a multiple cylinder engine; a combined supporting device for said tubular member and bracket for holding a plurality of wires whereby current is supplied to said spark plugs, and the bracket portion of which device is located to one side of and adjacent one end of said tubular member; additional holding members carried by said supporting device for holding other wires included in and forming a part of the ignition system of the engine; and means whereby said supporting device may be fastened to a structure adapted to support the same.

7 4. In a wire supporting device for use in lgnition systems of internal combustion engines, a. tubular member having openings in its wall for the passage into and out therefrom of wires through which current is supplied to the spark plugs of a multiple cylinder engine; a combined supporting device for said tubular member and bracket for holding a plurality of wires whereby current is supplied to said spark plugs, said bracket comprising a lower shelf member for supporting said wires, an upper clamping member for engaging said wires, and means for fastening said clamping member and said shelf together; a second clamping member arranged adjacent one end of said shelf and clamping member for holding other wires included in the ignition system of the enginef and means whereby said supporting device may be fastened to a structure adapted to support the same.

5. In a wire supporting device for use in ignition systems of internal combustion engines, a tubular member through which wires spark plugs, said bracket comprising a lower whereby current 1s supplled to the spark shelf member for supporting sald Wires, an

plugs of a multiple cylinder engine extend; upper clampinig member for engaging said 10 v a. supporting device for said tubular mem- Wires, and means for fastening said clamp- 5 ber; and a bracket located adjacent said tuing member and said shelf together.

bular member for holding a plurality of In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

wires whereby current is supplied to said BENJAMIN M. SMARR. 

